Fainted
by Shimmering tear
Summary: (COMPLETE)Remember that episode, when Kenshin proposed to Kaoru by accident and fainted with shock when he found out! Lots of what happened back then was hidden from Kaoru. What happens when she finds out the hurtful details...
1. The shock

**Hi! No I don't own RK. Wish I did (I'd be loaded), but I don't. Anyway, this is my first RK fiction on-line, so pls read and review 'cause I really need to know what you think and how I can improve.**

"Oh my! I never thought we'd get that ring off Kaoru's finger!" Sano said to Yahiko late one night as they sat in the living room.

"Yeah, it was a tough job alright" Yahiko agreed, "not to mention very painful!".

The memory of what they had to go through to get that ring back made them silent for a few seconds, then crack up laughing at how finally Kenshin's jaw got it off.

In her room, Kaoru was trying to get some sleep after an exhausting day teaching little brats how to hold a sword right. The loud noise Sano and Yahiko were making was getting on her nerves alright, but that last crazy laugh was the last straw. Frustrated, she jumped out of her bed to give them a piece of her mind. She rolled up her sleeves and was ready to slam the door open when she heard them speak again:

"Kaoru certainly went out of her mind!" Yahiko said giggling hard.

"Yeah, but thanks to her friend who gave Kenshin the bouquet, she's back having "potato eyes" for Kenshin!" Sano added, laughing almost hysterically.

Kaoru stopped and leaned over to hear more clearly.

"Do you remember the way Kenshin fainted when he found out that he just proposed to Kaoru by accident?" Yahiko asked, then burst out laughing.

Kaoru's jaw dropped with shock and hurt, "fainted"?!_ Am I that horrible?!_

"He was shaking like a leaf!" Sano said, gasping hard for breath from all the laughing.

Kaoru's eyes were as wide as can be, yet they instantly filled with tears. She bit her lower lip so hard that blood dripped onto her nightdress. She started sobbing aloud and that was when Sano and Yahiko first felt her presence and stopped laughing.

Sano got up and walked carefully towards the door. He yanked it wide open, only to see Kaoru standing with tears streaming down her reddened cheeks and blood down her chin.Yahiko stood in surprise and shame.

"Kaoru we..." Sano started but Kaoru ran into the corridor, not wanting to listen to anything he could possibly say. She ran so fast she accidentally bumped into Kenshin, who was bringing tea for the guys. The tea set went flying into the air, splashing tea onto the walls, floor, Kenshin and Kaoru who fell too.

"Kaoru, are you o.k?" Kenshin asked, but she was already on her feet and resuming the escape.

Looking at where she fell, Kenshin could see blood.

"Kenshin, you o.k?" Yahiko asked as he and Sano came running.

"I'm fine but Kaoru..." Kenshin started, but Sano cut in: "I'll explain".

**So, what do you think? I know that it's rather short but I didn't want to start so big. The next chapters are longer. I have nearly finished writing the whole thing and I'm ready to post it, but I really need to know if it is worth it. Plz help this poor writer and review. See ya'll very soon.**


	2. The wrath

**Wow! I got 4 flattering reviews (I know that for most of you it's nothing, but I'm new here!). I was so excited, I immediately loaded the second chapter, which I hope will be even better than the first. I hope that every body enjoys it and review ;p. Below, is a little reply to all my lovely reviewers.**

Kenshin sat across the table from Sano and Yahiko, his gaze focused on his fists in shame and pity.

"That must have hurt" Kenshin said, trying not to imagine how Kaoru must've felt.

"We didn't know that she was eavesdropping" Yahiko said defensively.

"Well, what we did is still wrong" Sano said, as he crossed his arms.

They sat silently for a while, each trying to find a way to solve the problem.

"I'm off to talk to her," Kenshin said as he stood up," But I really have no clue as to what to say".

He opened the door and stepped outside when Yahiko finally accepted his share of the guilt. "I guess I should come along" he said uncomfortably, "Right, Sano?"

Sano stared at him blankly for a second then nodded. "Yeah" he replied awkwardly.

On the roof, Kaoru laid on her back and watched the clear sky. It was a full moon. It could've been a perfect romantic night. By now, she stopped crying and her lip stopped bleeding, but her eyes were puffed and reddened to prove that she had been crying. _How can you love somebody so badly and in return be thought off worse than scum?!_

_"fainted"? "shaking like a leaf"?_

_How bad can I be? I'm not that ugly. I love him. I would gladly sacrifice my life for him!_

"Kaoru-dono?" Kenshin called as he sat suddenly next to her.

Kaoru almost turned to face him but stopped herself. She continued to stare at the sky as if he wasn't there, but focused as hard as she can on her hearing. She was eager to know what he had to say.

"I, Sano and Yahiko need to talk to you" he said awkwardly, trying to put on his cute, childish features to soften her heart.

Kaoru still refused to show any acceptance towards his presence.

"Yeah Kaoru-dono" Yahiko said as he showed up and sat next to her too.

"We really want to apologize to you" Sano added his two cents as he appeared and sat next to Kenshin.

Kaoru's eyes gleamed dangerously for a few seconds. "Apologize for what?" she asked in a tone they never heard her use before.

"Kaoru-do..." Kenshin started gently, aware that the seriousness of the situation was far more than he thought.

"For making a fool of me? For not respecting me?" Kaoru stood up and yelled.

"We respect you!" Yahiko said in his comic defensive manner, after each guy took two crawls back in shock.

"Of course you do Yahiko" She yelled," You clearly show it by calling me 'dog face' and never obeying me. Always mocking me.

" I WELCOMED YOU INTO MY HOUSE, KEPT A ROOF OVER YOUR IGNORANT HEAD, FED YOU, TRAINED YOU AND ALL I GET IS MOCKERY, BADLY DONE CHORES AND 'KENSHIN DID THIS, KENSHIN DID THAT'. NOT ONCE HAVE YOU THANKED ME FOR ANYTHING. ALL YOU BABLE ABOUT IS KENSHIN AND HIS HITEN MITSERUGI"

The guys were shocked to the bones. Yahiko nearly shook with surprise. She had never been so mad at him. He was actually both scared and ashamed.

"Kaoru-dono, please take it easy" Kenshin said, confused.

"You shut up," Kaoru yelled at him," I LOVED YOU WITH ALL MY HEART. I WOULD HAVE GLADLY DIED FOR YOU. YET, YOU FAINT ON THE IDEA OF BEING ENGAGED TO ME? HOW REVOLTING CAN I BE?"

Kenshin's features switched to dead serious, guilty and compassionate.

Kaoru's throat hurt with the overuse and her head spinned dangerously with rage. She turned to leave and climb down, but felt that she had a few points to clear. "Yahiko, since that you live here but neither like my teaching nor my cooking, you will start to pay for your stay by performing well done chores and no more calling me names, or crashing my favorite households. And no more classes for you." she said, trying hard to hold back her tears and maintain a clear voice," As for you Kenshin, I need you around the house, you're useful, but I don't want to see your face for as long as possible. Let's try to avoid each other"

Kenshin tried to look into her eyes, but she realized that and avoided it. He realized that the damage done was overwhelming.

"Don't try to fix me," she said quietly to him, "I'm not broken"

Sano opened his mouth but Kaoru gave him a dangerous look as she started to climb down. "Keep your big mouth shut, jerk," she snapped, then jumped down and walked away, leaving behind three guys absent-minded and confused.

**To my wonderful reviewers:**

**Jouko-chan: I'm grateful beyond words! It's that info. that helps give the story a realistic touch. I hope I applied it properly. Plz help educate me with those words, I desperately need it. Thnx.**

**Kao-gurl: I hope this chapter tells you something good about my potential! Thnx.**

**sakura Hopes: There you go. Thnx.**

**Aimee: I'm gonna spend the night finishing this. Thnx.**

**I hope that I've satisfied your expectations. Plz review again. Your reviews help improve my skill with every letter**


	3. The aftermath

**I'm glad that people like this. I didn't expect to actually make it in RK, but seems like I did. There's a big smile across my face, thnx to all those who reviewed, love y'all. I'm finishing the before the final chapter and your reviews help push me up, so plz...;p**

A week passed and still none of the guys managed to have a word with Kaoru. Sano limited his visits to the dojo to when Kaoru was teaching outdoors and Yahiko failed to talk to her about his classes. Kenshin would purposely pass by her in the corridors and try to read her eyes to see if she was still mad at him or could he start speaking to her. The right time never seemed to come. She seemed to be angrier every time.

Kaoru, tried to avoid everybody as much as possible. She became rather isolated and avoided all the places were she'd usually meet friends. She got out of bed very early in the morning, before neither Kenshin nor Yahiko could possibly wake up and would head to the woods, to warm up before her classes. She packed her lunch herself and returned to the Dojo as late as possible. Sometimes, Yahiko would search for her all day and rarely find her. Kenshin would often stay up late waiting for her. Megumi understood Kaoru's attitude perfectly and refused to interfere despite Sanosuke's constant begging. She told him off for what he did, which made him avoid her too for a few days.

Exactly a month after the incident, Kaoru woke up a little before dawn and found out that she didn't have any classes for the day. She sneaked out of the Dojo and headed for the woods like she always did, she didn't bear staying there longer than necessary. Without warming up and planning exercises and classes, she was starting to get bored. There was nothing to get her mind off what happened a full moon ago.

It was dark and foggy, which gave the surroundings a gloomy expression. She decided to watch the sunrise by climbing a tree near the river. The air was extremely fresh and the earth seemed to be in mourning silence. Slowly, the chirping of the birds brought life around and shortly followed by a beautiful sunrise, Kaoru couldn't help but relate the scenery to herself. She was _morning for no reason. If Kenshin doesn't like me so badly, who cares?! I'm beautiful, young and independent. I can defend myself and the ones I love, no matter what they say or think, I'm strong. I'm a catch and if his 'royal majesty' can't see me, I should be happy. Why have a mysterious man like that. He's not that handsome... well maybe he is, but there are many fish in the sea and I can find myself a better one. I'm completely through with him and with those losers that I call friends. I'm done feeling bad about myself. I'm over it. I'm free. Infact, I should celebrate. I'm going out to the market today and pamper myself a little. Then maybe I'll got out with Megum-I'm sure she'll never interfere or open up the subject of what happened- and other girlfriends of mine. We'll go to the theatre or something, spend a well-deserved night in town. Yeah, that'll be good. We'll have lots of fun. The guys will wish they had come along. NO! I'm fed up with them. STOP! You're thinking about them, you're thinking about HIM! You're a new woman now, Kaoru Himur.....I mean Kamiya! Kaoru Kamiya is back!_

A few hours later, Kenshin and Yahiko were eating breakfast together in silence. A weird wolf howl cut the silence.

"Come in" Yahiko yelled, "She's not here"

They heard footsteps coming and the door opened revealing a nervous looking Sano.

"You sure?" he asked looking around nervously.

Yahiko nodded dully as he took a mouthful of whatever kenshin had made.

"Good" he said awkwardly, "The last time we made eye contact, I was in danger of spending a month in the hospital"

Yahiko grinned weakly. Kenshin scowled gently at the memory of Kaoru's outburst.

"Want to join us?" Kenshin offered.

"No thanks, I'm full" Sano said, as rolled up his sleeves and started eating using both hands.

They ate silently for a few minutes. Until Sano suddenly stopped, put his plate down and smiled out of focus.

"What is it, Sano?" Yahiko asked.

"I never thought that I'd say this, but I actually miss Kaoru's cooking" Sano said his smile broadening.

Yahiko stared at him with his eyebrows in danger of disappearing into his hair. Even Kenshin showed signs of astonishment. They too stopped eating and put their plates down.

"It was kind of horrible, but it was always a nice subject whenever we needed a laugh" Sano explained, "We all would gather around the table and laugh at each other's expressions"

Yahiko smiled too, as he nodded. "I miss her too" he admitted sadly.

Kenshin took a deep breath, then got up and took his dish to the kitchen.

Sano waited till he left him and Yahiko. "Is he always like this, or just when I'm around to make me feel guilty?" he asked.

"He just misses her badly, Sano" Yahiko answered, sadly. "We hardly ever see her nowadays!"

"I can understand why she's mad at us, but she should pity him you know" Sano said, "He's crazy about her and it was our fault"

"But it was I who fainted" Kenshin said when he appeared suddenly. He was back for the rest of the dishes.

**So, any comments? How about a review?!**


	4. The revision

**I'd really wanna thank all those who reviewed. Many of them, however, didn't yet watch that episode where Kenshin accidentaly proposes to Kaoru, so I thought I'd include this chapter which pretty much summarises that episode.**

"I'm not sure I really want to do this" Sano told Kenshin, as they waited for Megumi to return. They were waiting outside Miss Tae's house (she's a very close friend to Kaoru). They convinced Megumi to help them by asking Tae about the exact details of what happened. They wanted to get everything clear so that they'd be able to make a 'strategy' to get Kaoru to forgive them.

"There she is" Kenshin said ignoring Sano, as he saw Megumi coming.

They started walking towards the Dojo.

"It all started the day before Tanabata" Megumi began," When they passed by the front window of a jewellery store. Kaoru asked about a beautiful ring she saw and Miss Tae informed her that it's an engagement ring and what's it used for. She really wishes she didn't. Kaoru fainted, blushing, murmuring your name"- she looked at Kenshin, grinning embarrassedly, but he looked away in guilt-"She decided that she had to interfere and help her. She's mad about you and you never seem to notice her. The next day, she visited you very early in the morning and lied to you that today was Kaoru's birthday".

"And I went fishing to prepare a special meal very soon after" Kenshin told his part," She caught me going out and asked if I knew why this was a very special day. I lied and said that it was a perfect fishing day. She got angry. After I cooked the lunch and as we ate, I nearly choked on an engagement ring that was stuck inside the fish".

"Miss Tae came in at that very moment." she cut in, "She thought that this was a definite sign and that the two of you were meant to be. She persuaded you to give her that ring, although you didn't think that she'd like something found in a dead fish."

"I gave her the ring" Kenshin continued, "I wondered why she was so happy, but I never thought that I was proposing to her".

"Later, I went fishing at that good fishing spot where Kenshin caught that large Cat fish" Sano started his part," There I found a young man trying to commit suicide, so I save him. Turns out he's the owner of that ring. He threw it in the river thinking that his fiancé was cheating on him. When he found out that he was very mistaken about her, he feels too guilty and wants to kill himself so that she'd forgive him. But the poor guy worked for two years to afford that ring! I try to persuade him not to, but he insists on killing himself. All I could do was ask him to give me a few hours to find it for him. He agrees reluctantly".

"After that Tae came and told us the truth and Kenshin faints with shock" Yahiko participated.

Kenshin's eyes narrowed with severe guilt and embarrassment.

" I and Sano made our first plan to retrieve the ring" Yahiko continued, " I asked her to give me a lesson. She says that she's glad I did, 'cause she won't be having much time after she gets married"-he chuckled quietly-" I try and attack her with judo, thinking that this way I can easily overpower her. I was painfully wrong! Turns out she masters judo as well. And when I was a hair close to sneaking the ring from her, she throws me around and actually battles me thinking that that was what I really wanted".

"It was time for plan two" Sano continued, "We waited till she went in for her hot bath. Kenshin distracted her with talking as we sneaked in front of the bathroom to snatch it. We thought that she'd take off all her jewellery and clothes, like most women do when they take a bath. We kept arguing as to who searches her clothes, we were both too honorable to search through a woman's underwear. We never noticed how loud we were until she came out, wrapped in a towel and hit the heck out of us...with the ring still on her finger!"

"We nearly gave up. But time was passing and that guy was going to kill himself" Yahiko continued, "We bought her a large mug of that new western alcoholic drink they call Beer. We told her it was a little apology gift for what we did before. She accepts it and drinks it all at once. What we totally forgot was that she had an allergic reaction to alcohol. She starts acting scary and Kenshin asks us to stop. He explains everything to her, but she's too drunk or whatever. I and Yahiko try to get the ring off her finger, but her hand had swollen after all that 'practice' with me, so it gets stuck. Sensing what was going on, she boxes Kenshin in the chins and sends him flying across the backyard! The ring falls off by the impact! We returned it to the guy and he proposes to his love"

"Kaoru-dono's back conscious by the time we return" Kenshin said," She was really mad and started eating like crazy. I didn't know what to do"

"So, Miss Tae returned and gave you a bouquet for her" Megumi finished. Kenshin nodded in reply.

"Boy, was I glad then that I have no woman in my life! It's too complicated!" Sano said. Megumi's eyebrows twitched dangerously.

"I went ahead and gave her a bouquet" Yahiko told himself too aloud.

They all looked at him questioningly.

"Who? Kaoru, or your secret crush" Megumi asked, suppressing her wicked giggles.

"No one" he yelled at her defensively, "That's none of your business".

Kenshin stopped, turned around and walked away.

"Hey Kenshin, where are you going?" Yahiko asked.

"There are a few groceries the I have to buy," he said as he walked away, "Thanks for your help Megumi-dono".

They all watched him walk away silently for a few seconds. They could almost feel sorrow radiating from him.

"So, Megumi " Sano said sweetly, "How about lending me some money?!"

**I really hope that you all liked that. It was the best I could do so as to summarize a RK episode. I may have some bad news: you see, I will be without internet connection for a few days while we buy a new computer, so I won't be able to update for a few days. Plz don't be mad, I'm very upset but there's nothing I can do c. I promise to update the second I put my hands on that new PC, after all I'm dying to let you on the rest of the story ;D**


	5. The accident

**Hi, I managed to sneak this chapter before we put the old PC to sleep! I feel that I must apologize to all of you about the few typos and grammar errors in the previous chapter, also the name that I made up for Kaoru's friend. I couldn't remember her name so I had to make up one. Also, I didn't know the name of that special day in Japan, when guys propose to girls. I squeezed it in the middle hurriedly for all those who hadn't seen that episode. But, you can find out! A generous reviewer had told me about them in a review, you can read it if you like. I hope that I'll do better this chapter. I'm really thankful to all those who reviewed and helped me see my weaknesses and strength points. I would just like to bring to your attention that this chapter and the two before it all happen in the same day, exactly one month after the incident. Please enjoy...**

Later that day, nearly at noon, Kaoru was busy shopping at the market. There were beautiful kimonos every where, but every time she nearly bought one, she'd worry that maybe the Dojo and its residents might need something or the other and would just walk away. She left them money in the money jar every night for groceries and necessities, but she couldn't help but worry about them.

_Kaoru Kmaiya, forget about them, this your money and your day._

Infront of one fancy clothes' store, she could see an excited group of young ladies around her age._ Is there's a sale or something? Better check it out!!_

As she drew nearer to take a look at the shop's front window, she overheard the girls talking and understood that they were out shopping for the wedding of one of them.

"This is such a beautiful ring" one of them said, "I wish Kazuo would give me one, but he's too cheap!"

"Well at least he's not as clumsy as her fiancé" another said, giggling as she pointed towards the girl who was getting married, "He lost it and had to search around for the whole day before he actually found it"

The girls all burst out laughing quietly, while the bride just grinned sheepishly.

_Lost it for a whole day?! Could it be?!_

"Excuse me" Kaoru cut in, "But can I see your engagement ring?"

The girls all stopped laughing and exchanged weird looks.

"Umm, yeah, sure" the bride said, smiling in pride as she stretched her hand out for Kaoru to see it.

Kaoru had to use all her strength to prevent her self from bursting into tears. _It's the ring!_

"You alright?" one of the girls asked Kaoru, "You don't look so well"

"Oh, yes I'm fine, thank you" Kaoru lied in a choked voice, "I must go now. I wish you all the best".

Kaoru turned and walked away hurriedly, tears racing down her cheeks involuntarily, leaving the girls in wonder about this weird stranger.

She wanted to run as hard as she could, but she didn't want to make a scene out of herself. She covered her eyes with her hand, pretending to be scratching her forehead and walked careful not to get too close to anybody. She needed to be alone. She wanted to scream her lungs out into space. The self-pity and anger were so immense she felt her knees becoming too weak to carry her body. Every single humiliating or embarrassing situation she's been through in her life seemed to replay in the back of her head. She couldn't walk so fast any more, she rested her back against a near by wall, then slowly slid all the way down till she was actually sitting on the ground. Breathing hard, she was grateful that everybody was too busy to notice her. _If you cry, then you're seriously the biggest loser in the whole world. You promised yourself that you'd be stronger the day your father died. What happened to this day being Kaoru Kamiya's day?! C'mon get on your feet. Live your life. Move on..._

A loud noise made by a crowd near by cut through her thoughts and brought her back to earth. People were gathered in a semi-circle from wall to wall to watch something.

"Let us go away from here son, it is too dangerous" she heard a woman whisper to her young son, then drag him by the hand away.

Kaoru pushed her way to the front of the crowd, feeling the curiosity tickling her and wanting anything to take her mind off that ring. She saw that half a dozen of thieves, each wearing an animal mask, were having an old man pinned against the wall at sword's point. She could feel her volcano erupt.

"How dare you attack an old man like that?" she yelled angrily at them.

The crowd started to whisper and murmur in fear. Each wondering what a scrawny girl could do against a gang.

Two of the gangsters were armed with guns, pointed towards the crowd. Another three were armed with swords, also pointed towards the crowd. The one who seemed to be their leader was the one holding the old man at gunpoint.

The gang members laughed at Kaoru.

"Go away girl, before you get hurt doll," their leader said, chuckling devilishly.

"Are you going to scream at us?" another member added, laughing heartily.

"No" Kaoru heard a familiar voice answer firmly, " She 's going to beat the crap out of you till you wish you were never born"

_Kenshin?!_

Kaoru didn't want to turn to his direction to confirm her thought._ Am I hallucinating about him already or is he really here? _

She took a glimpse from the corner of her eyes. _It's him all right! Now he's going to try and act like a hero. He's going to prevent me from fighting and take them all out, all in one move or so. But no! This is one of the times where I'll have to prove to him what a Kamiyan Dojo master can do...even if she's the 'weaker sex'._

She looked around and saw an old man in the crowd, leaning on a thick wooden stick. _Bingo!_

"Excuse me sir, but I'll need to borrow this" she told the old man. He threw it to her reluctantly.

"Leave this man and leave immediately" Kenshin gave his pre-attack warning.

"Or your little dollie will kick our rears?!" the leader asked, mockingly.

"YES" Kaoru yelled as she charged on them, Kenshin a nano second behind her.

First, they took care of the gunned goons; they knocked them out in no time. Then, Kaoru blacked out two of the sword-armed gangsters, which only cost her that her long hair fell loose, while Kenshin worked on the other one and move on to the leader. He had him at sword's point, just like he had the old man.

"Now let him go if you know what's best for you" Kenshin warned the leader in a dangerous voice. He usually never used threatens, but he was in a bed mood.

Kenshin turned to look at Kaoru to check if she's alright. To his surprise, she was standing there, stationary, holding the stick with both hands, her hair loose, staring at him with a stern impression on her face. They made eye contact for a few seconds. Kenshin took it a chance to search her eyes for forgiveness. He failed to find it. Kaoru broke the contact as she bent down to retrieve the piece which she ties her hair with. Kenshin returned his focus onto the leader, feeling desperate and hopeless.

Kenshin had too much in his mind to notice the gunman he knocked out first wake up. But, Kaoru did. She watched him in horror, as he charged his gun and aimed it at an unexpecting Kenshin. Immobilized by fear, her throat went out of order so she couldn't yell to warn him. She felt her whole body beat in harmony with her heart. Even if she wanted to warn him, it was too late. There was no time.

kaoru did the only thing left to do. She ran to Kenshin and pushed him aside in the nick of time.

Kenshin was thrown forcefully onto the ground. For a few sweet seconds, his head spun so wild, he forgot who he was and what he was doing, he was back the four years old Shinta Himura. Then it all came back in a painful flash. He heard people screaming and cursing. They were beating the goons to death. Remembering Kaoru, Kenshin looked around for her. He couldn't find her. Then...he saw her, unconscious and bleeding.

"NOOOOOOOOOOOOOO" he screamed out.

**I really wanted to post this before I threw away my PC (which I now call grandpa). I think it'd be nice to leave the story hanging over that point till I get the new PC. So, what do you think guys? Should I kill Kaoru and twist Kenshin's and the guys' hearts. OR, should I save her.?! I have already made up my mind and decided, but I'm interested in knowing what you all want. I hope that I'll update soon. I promise I won't be away any longer than a week. I love you all.**


	6. The waiting

**Hello there! I managed to update although my PC just dropped dead!**

Kenshin paced round and round, his mind throbbing with memories, making it even hard to breathe. Sano, too sick with worry for his knees to carry him, sat on the ground with his arms crossed and his face blank. Yahiko couldn't stand the tension, they could hear him running angrily around the Dojo. Megumi has been in Kaoru's room for hours. Sano ran and brought her along with all her medical equipment, a few seconds after Kenshin came in with Kaoru bleeding in his arms. He couldn't think clear enough back then to get her to the clinic. Instead, they brought Megumi to her.

It's been a while since Megumi rushed out screaming for something immediately, the guys were as if they're being burned alive. None of them escaped the guilt, especially Kenshin, who was slowly going crazy. _I vowed to protect her and I failed. It's my entire fault she's in there. It should've been me. Why did she have to do this to me? It would've been much more merciful if I died instead of her getting injured. I thought I was strong enough, smart enough and fast enough, but I was wrong...she proved me wrong..._

He felt too dizzy to stand anymore, so he fell onto his knees and just burst into tears aloud. Sano's blankness turned into confusion and Yahiko came rushing through the door.

"W-w-what's wrong?" he asked, his face pale with fear.

Sano didn't seem to even notice him, he just continued to stare at Kenshin.

"Kenshin?" Yahiko asked, his voice now barely coming out. Kenshin too didn't reply.

"KENSHIN?" Yahiko asked again, this time nearly shaking.

"I can't take it any more" Kenshin answered in between sobs.

The sight of the strongest man in Japan crying his eyes out was a very strong one. It melted Sano bizarre expression and froze Yahiko with surprise.

"I-I-I l-l-love her too much" Kenshin confessed.

"Kenshin" Sano said gently, finally speaking.

"It's o.k" Yahiko joined in, now feeling bad for Kenshin as well as for Kaoru.

Kenshin felt something odd inside his clothes. He stopped crying and took it out.

"Kaoru-dono's hair tie" he said, mainly to himself, " It's blue. She loves the color blue. It matches her hair color as well as her eyes".

Sano and Yahiko exchanged worried looks.

"Kenshin, are you o.k?" Sano asked with concern. It was truly a bad time for Kenshin to lose his marbles.

"That should've been me inside you know" Kenshin told them for the first time and they both gasped in reaction.

He nodded. "She meant it" he continued, "She said she'd have gladly died for me and she proved it".

"Kenshin.." Yahiko started, but realized that he had nothing to say.

"She looked beautiful" Kenshin really seemed to be going crazy, his eyes went blank," Her hair just fell down and she was as beautiful as she's ever been. Had you ever noticed the way her ears blush when she looks at me, or how the room seems to glow when she enters? If could do one thing one more time, I'd choose to hold her the way I did when I left to fight Shishio. I never realized how tiny her waist is until then. I left her crying her heart out and refused to look back. I always hurt her no matter what I do".

SLAP.

_Gasp._

"Sano" Kenshin mumbled, his hand on his scarred cheek, shocked but not strong enough to snap out of it.

"Listen to me" Sano said through gritted teeth, as he repositioned himself right in front of Kenshin and shook him hard by the shoulders, " This isn't the right time to lose your mind. We can't handle any more disasters. She"-he pointed towards Kaoru's room-"needs us now more than ever. You have to pull yourself together man, for her sake. She loves you, you owe her that".

Kenshin stared blankly into Sano's pleading eyes. Slowly, they returned back to their warm consciousness. Yahiko's eyes watered.

"Yeah, we should stop acting like fools and be strong for Kaoru's sake" Yahiko said excitedly.

Kenshin looked from Sano to Yahiko and vice versa. "Yeah" he said trying to sound as excited as possible, "Anything for Kaoru-dono".

"Absolutely" Sano agreed excitedly.

"Megumi is one damn good doctor" Yahiko added, "I really don't know what are we worried about!".

Sano and Kenshin stared at Yahiko uneasily. "Sorry" he apologized.

Kenshin wiped away his tears. "The minute I get the chance, I'm going to tell her the truth, I'm telling her that I'm crazy about her and ask her to marry me".

A wave of true excitement and hope flashed in the guys' eyes.

Footsteps echoed from Kaoru's room. Soon, the door opened and Megumi came out. All three guys stood up immediately. Megumi's eyes were hidden behind her hair, but tears could be seen racing down her cheeks. She looked up and they could see that she was crying heavily.

_Nooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooo...._

Kenshin's lavender eyes switched to a shocked bright yellow, Battousai's eye.

Sano clutched his spiky hair with both hands, turned and bumped his forehead against the wall.

Yahiko's bokken smashed in his hands, then his knees betrayed him and he fell down, sobbing heavily.

"NOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOO" Kenshin screamed his lungs out and ran into Kaoru's room. She was lying on her bed, as pale as death, yet so peaceful. He leaned over her and gazed at her pretty face, tears racing downs his cheeks and dropping like rain drops onto hers' and raced onto the floor, making it look as if she was crying.

"Kaoru, please don't leave me here" he begged her in whispers, rocking backwards and forwards with her in his arms, "I can't exist without you, I need you. You're the one who saved my soul and let me know that it's all right to be human and screw up. You became the reason I hold on to life with my teeth and nails. I don't want to be here without you, please take me with you".

He held her tightly in his arms willing to stay like that forever.

Blink. Blink. _Where am I? What happened? What's that noise? Who's crying? WHAT AM I DOING IN KENSHIN'S ARMS?_

**What do you think? Let me know. The last chapter is coming up as soon as I can. I had to beg my young brother to let me use his 'top of the line' laptop to update, I hope he will let me do it more often!! Anyway, there isn't much left to write but I'm really excited, the last chapter is coming closer, just like Christmas ;p**


	7. The awakening

**Hi there! I know it's been nearly 2 weeks but things happened and school started. I was neck deep in mess. I really hope that you all didn't lose interest in the story, this is the seventh chapter, which I had to write in a hurry just to show you all that I'm still breathing and planning to finish this story. Please enjoy...**

Kaoru merely blinked for a couple of minutes, feeling too weak to react.

"Kenshin" she whispered, finally.

Kenshin felt the air get stuck in his lungs, even though he wasn't sure of what he just heard.

"Kenshin" Kaoru whispered again, weakly.

Kenshin was sure this time. He slowly pulled back to see her face. Her beautiful eyes met his. Kaoru was struck by the look in Kenshin's lavender eyes. They seemed to be sinking into her soul. She didn't want to ever look away. She felt calm and even happy.

"I thought I'd never hear you say that name again" Kenshin burst out, nearly crying with relief, as he re-hugged her tighter than before.

"I thought so too" Kaoru said, as she weakly buried her face into his chest.

Kaoru suddenly felt something warm drop onto her face, she looked up and saw Kenshin cry for the first time in her life. She couldn't help but notice how beautifully the tears shimmered in his eyes. She was reaching her hand upwards to wipe his tears when suddenly the pain of being shot returned brutally.

Kaoru screamed in pain.

Megumi ran into the room and separated Kenshin and Kaoru.

"What did you do?" Megumi yelled at Kenshin.

Kenshin couldn't reply but with shaking his head, as he stared horrified at Kaoru screaming with pain.

"What the he..."Sano gasped, as he and Yahiko stood at the door, bewildered, freshly introduced to the fact that Kaoru is alive.

"Get out" Megumi yelled at the guys, "All of you. NOW".

A short while later...

Kenshin, Sano and Yahiko sat next to each other, arms and legs crossed, facing door that separated them from Kaoru and Megumi. Finally, Megumi came out, looking exhausted.

"What?" she asked them, puzzled, once she faced the guys' angry looks.

"How could you fool us like that?" Sano said rather yelling.

"What do you mean?" Megumi asked, angry at his attitude.

"You made us think she was dead" Yahiko explained, as angry as Sano.

"I never did that," Megumi said defensively.

"Then why were you crying like that?" Sano asked, feeling that he nailed her.

"Oh that!" Megumi said sheepishly, "I was merely touched by what Kaoru did for Kenshin".

"You were not, you're lying" Yahiko yelled at her.

"Don't you dare talk to me like that you little twerp" Megumi spat angrily.

"Who're you calling a twerp?" Yahiko yelled.

"You" Megumi yelled, "And if you keep yelling like that you'll wake Kaoru up".

"That's too late Megumi" Kaoru said from her room, "Kenshin, I think we need to talk".

Kenshin only nodded. He got up, threw an angry look at Megumi, then entered the room and closed the door behind him.

Sano, Yahiko and Megumi stared blankly at the door. Then all three of them leaned over to eavesdrop, shoving each other aside for the best spot.

**So, how do you like it?! Please let me know. And if you have any ideas or comments I'd love to know about them. The next chapter is coming up as soon as possible (I'm going to start it right after I finish my chemistry homework!!). From now on I won't be able to update so often like I could before, but I promise not to take too long to do it. Please be patient with me.**


	8. The questions

**Hi! I started this chapter and suddenly found myself obsessed with finishing it, so I went ahead and finished it before I finished my chemistry homework. Also, I really wanted to make it up for that last short chapter. Please read and enjoy...**

Kenshin looked at Kaoru from the corner of his eyes, afraid of direct contact. _She's so beautiful. I'm going crazy. _She was sitting in her bed, looking terribly tired. Her eyes had a hurt look about them that tore Kenshin's heart apart.

_I wish I could make her smile. I love her, I need to tell her that. She must know that..._

Silence.

_I have to tell her._

Silence.

_I don't want to lose her again. _

Silence.

_I love you Kaoru._

None of them talked, both waiting for the other to start first. The silence was killing them.

"Kenshin" Kaoru finally said.

_Yes?! _

"Hmmm?" was all what Kenshin could provide as a reply.

"I just wanted to...umm...uh" Kaoru mumbled, not finding the words she wanted to say, barely even remembering them.

Kenshin looked up and stared at her beautiful eyes as she struggled to put two words together and saw the amount of pain he had caused her. _You're too good for me Kaoru Kamiya, I'm not worthy of you..._

"I'm sorry" the words jumped out of his mouth.

Kaoru stopped mumbling and looked at him in surprise.

"Huh?" she asked.

_I can't tell her, she must never know that I love her. I've caused her enough pain. The only decent thing left to do is to leave the Dojo and resume my wandering alone. It's the only way I can actually protect her...to be away from her, as far away as possible._

"I...I should've been more careful" Kenshin said in a fake calm voice, "It's all my fault that you got hurt and I want to thank you for saving my life".

Kaoru stared at him blankly.

"Now, I think that I have become too heavy a burden for you" Kenshin went on, his sweet awkward smile on, "I believe the only decent thing to do is to leave".

Kaoru gasped as her jaw dropped.

A knife twisted in Kenshin's heart.

He stood up and turned to leave.

Meanwhile, outside, Megumi, Sano and Yahiko were still fighting over the best spot to eavesdrop on Kenshin and Kaoru.

"Why are they so silent damn it?" Yahiko whispered from on the floor.

"Maybe they're talking too low for us to hear?!" Sano suggested, sitting onto Yahiko.

"Or maybe you two are making too much noise" Megumi suggested quietly, "Keep QUIET!"

"Shhhhhhh" Yahiko hushed in an urgent whisper, his index finger on his lips, "I think they're talking".

All three went silent and listened carefully.

Their eyes widened as they heard Kenshin speak about leaving.

"What?" Yahiko nearly screamed, but both Megumi and Yahiko slapped his mouth hard.

"He was supposed to confess his love and propose to her" Yahiko explained to Megumi.

"Kenshin is sure one weird freak" Sano said.

Back inside…

Kaoru watched Kenshin's back as he walked away, in horror. He could feel her eyes burn on his back, but he was glad that she couldn't see his face twisted in sorrow.

He was about to open the door when he suddenly remembered something and stopped. He took her hair ribbon out of his clothes and turned back to return it to her. At first, she thought that he might've changed his mind and was about to smile, but he merely put it in front of her on the floor and turned back to leave.

He was almost at the door when he heard her get up quickly and follow him. He froze involuntarily, wanting to run, but unable to.

"Kenshin" Kaoru said sternly.

Kenshin was turning to face her when...SLAP.

Outside, the three of them were listening with all their might.

"Was that a slap?" Megumi asked, shocked.

"Seemed very much like it!" Yahiko answered, in the same shocked tone as Megumi.

"Poor Kenshin", Sano said sympathetically, the slap he gave Kenshin earlier that day in his mind, "He's been getting a lot of these lately".

Megumi thought for a second. "What makes you think it was Kenshin who got slapped?" Megumi thought worriedly.

All three of them returned to eavesdrop harder than before.

Kenshin stood there facing Kaoru, his hand on his scarred cheek, wanting to cry on the outside like he did in the inside. Kaoru, one hand on her shot side, the other in mid air after contact with Kenshin's cheek, stood panting.

"WHAT ARE YOU?" Kaoru yelled at him madly, "A DAMNED MARBLE WALL? AREN'T YOU EVEN HUMAN OR WHAT? HOW CAN YOU BE SO DAMN COLD? I LOVE YOU, DON'T YOU GET IT?! I KNOW THAT YOU LOVE ME TOO. YOU'RE A SUPER SAMURAI, WHAT'S SO HARD ABOUT THREE LITTLE WORDS? I EARNED THEM... YOU OWE THEM TO ME".

Kenshin stared at Kaoru blankly.

"If you are going to try and walk out on me again, then you don't love me and I'm wrong to ever think that you did" Kaoru said, trying not to lose her temper again and feeling terribly dizzy, "Tell me that you don't love me, Kenshin. Tell me that I was wrong to think that you ever loved me".

The three outside gasped in horror.

"Tell me that you don't love me Kenshin Himura" Kaoru repeated in a feeble, angry voice.

Kenshin stared at her in horror. Not having a clue as to what to say. _Should I tell her that I love her, confess my obsession about her, let her know that she's the reason I want to live, but then won't I be putting her life in more danger and causing her more pain? Shouldn't I just lie and turn away? It'll hurt her a lot for a while but soon she'll move on. She'll be fine while I'll be bleeding, wishing for death to take me away every second for the rest of my life. But she'll at least be safe because she's going to be away from me. _

Her eyes were begging him to scream the truth, assisted by his heart, but his brain pleaded him to do what was best for her and just walk away.

Every second passing was like another bullet shot at them, not only the two of them but also Sano, Yahiko and Megumi listening outside in horror.

_What will I do? What will I do?_

**So, what do you think? Any suggestions or comments? Please let me know. More is coming soon (not so soon 'cause I have school you know!).**


	9. The answer

**Hi! Howdy? I truly missed you all. It's been a very busy week; I wonder how I managed to finish this chapter. My life is currently like the food inside a pressure cooker! I just started writing my biography, but it still stinks.**

Any way, I really hope that you all enjoy this chapter...

Kaoru stood facing Kenshin, both hands holding her shot side as if that could help ease the pain. She was intense, waiting to hear him say the words that would put her soul in eternal torment. The tension was too strong for her weakened body, her surroundings seemed to swing slowly like a pendulum. Kenshin seemed to multiply into two every few seconds.

Kenshin could almost swear that his brain was swelling up inside his skull. It was painful standing there on weak knees not knowing what to do or say. He had only two choices that he preferred to die a thousand times than to have to do any of them. Either to confess his emotions to Kaoru and stay, but that will put her in great danger all the time. Or, he could lie to her and walk away, but he couldn't live without her and he was now sure that she couldn't either.

Kaoru couldn't stand straight any longer; she was starting to lose balance.

_NO! Hold yourself up! Don't be weak in front of him._

Kenshin could almost feel Kaoru's pains and he realized bitterly that he caused them all.

_If you love her you do what's best for her._

"Kaoru-dono, thanks for hosting me all this time but I really must get back to my wandering" Kenshin said, deciding that it was much easier to pretend to have never heard what she last said.

"SAY IT" Kaoru yelled, angry at his cowardice using all her residual energy, "YOU NEVER LOVED ME!"

Kenshin didn't reply, he just turned away and opened the door to get out.

No one saw Sano's punch coming. It made forceful contact with Kenshin's jaw and sent him flying onto his back at Kaoru feet. Kaoru, Yahiko and Megumi all gasped in reaction.

"What's the matter with you?" Sano said through gritted teeth, angrily, "You love her, you're crazy about her. You were supposed to be proposing to her by now".

No one dared move or speak as they watched Kenshin get up casually and slap the dust off his clothes, silently.

Yahiko went to stand by Kaoru side, sensing her fragility and wanting to support her if she needed it.

"Kaoru" Yahiko gasped, pointing towards Kaoru's shot side, "You're bleeding".

Kaoru looked carelessly at her shot side for a second then back at Kenshin. Kenshin looked away to avoid her eyes. He could feel her becoming weaker every second. Although he avoided looking at her, he managed to predict her collapsing and caught her in his arms, preventing her from hitting the ground before even Yahiko could.

"Kaoru" he whispered, heart broken. Holding her in his arms on the ground. The rest of the Kenshin-gumi watched sorrowfully at how things got so bad. Just a month ago no one would have thought that things would take such an ugly turn for the Kenshin-gumi.

"If you love me like I love you, if you need me like I need you, it's alright" She said to him weakly, "If you want me like I want you, let me be the one to hold you through the night".

Kenshin's tears rolled down his cheeks guiltily.

Kaoru's eyelids became too heavy for her to hold them open. She looked like she was slowly drifting to sleep.

Kenshin looked at Megumi questioningly. She read his eyes and understood his doubt. "She is losing blood because the wound has opened. It's not so deep, but the bleeding will weaken her and that'll make it easier for an infection to occur and that's what WILL kill her" Megumi explained matter-of-factly, hoping that she'd terrified Kenshin into confessing to Kaoru.

"Well do something" Kenshin pleaded, feeling sick at pit of his stomach for what he caused Kaoru.

"No" Kaoru said, groaning, "I don't want to live if you're going to leave me. I don't want to be so alone, like I was before I met you. I'd rather die"

"I can't, she won't allow me" Megumi answered coolly, "I can't force her into it".

"Happy now, Kenshin?" Sano spat in disgust, "What are you waiting for, run away. Isn't that what you wanted to do at the first place?".

The words slashed Kenshin like a blade.

"Sano, shut up" Kenshin rather yelled, now shaking with the violence of the emotions that ran through his veins.

"NO" Sano yelled, "You're right, you don't deserve her"

"Kenshin please, you're the only one who could make her change her mind and let Megumi help her" Yahiko pleaded, stepping between the two guys.

"Kaoru please, you have to let Megumi help you, there are a lot of people who care about you" Kenshin begged Kaoru desperately.

Kaoru shook her head slowly, her eyes now shut.

"No" she said in barely over an absent minded whisper.

Sano glared at Kenshin angrily. Megumi was starting to feel her stomach turn with worry, the medicine she gave Kaoru to sleep was starting to work too strong for her, and the shot wound was re-opened and the longer she was bleeding the more in danger she got. Yahiko, however, still had his famous faith in Kenshin.

"Please, Kaoru, listen to me" Kenshin said, the desperation clear in his voice.

Kaoru didn't seem to be even hearing him anymore. She seemed to have drifted into some distant realm.

Sano's gulp was heard aloud. Yahiko's hopes were fading. Megumi was calculating the time left before it was too late to try and do something for Kaoru,_ C'mon Kenshin, shout the truth before it's too late._

"Kaoru" Kenshin called her name again but she wouldn't respond.

He shook her desperately hard by the shoulders, but her head just shook from side to side almost lifelessly.

Kenshin held her closer in his arms. "Kaoru?" still no response. Her skin felt eerily cold. He strengthened his grip around her again, pulling her closer, his face hiding in her shoulder.

"Kaoru, please don't" he begged in a whisper into her ear, "I need you, I want you, I love you. I can't live without you. I just didn't want you to get hurt. I thought that by leaving you I'd be doing you a favor because I was always the reason you got hurt"

Kaoru blinked, as if Kenshin's words were giving her power. Sano, Megumi and Yahiko saw her, but Kenshin didn't. They all smiled at her, but she was too weak to even grin back.

"The truth is.....I love you Kaoru Kamiya, I loved you since I first saw you. I love you way too much to see you get hurt" Kenshin said tears wetting Kaoru's shoulder, "I really, really love you".

He heard a soft gasp. "You do?" Kaoru asked weakly.

Kenshin's eyes widened, but the tears still blinded them easily before they trickled down in relief. He nodded, the side of his face brushing against Kaoru's.

"Really?" Kaoru asked hopefully, a little louder but still feeble.

Kenshin pulled back slightly so that he could she her face and she could see his.

"Kaoru, I LOVE YOU" he screamed into the air. He looked onto her beautiful eyes, his words seemed to have done magic to them, and they shone in a way that he'd never seen before. He smiled at her and she could instantly feel its warmth invading her body. She managed to smile back with her renewed reason for living.

Sano subconsciously wrapped an arm around Megumi's shoulders and she didn't seem to mind. Yahiko knelt down next to Kenshin and Kaoru and bear hugged the both of them.

"And I love you both" Yahiko said laughing.

The rest laughed a little.

Kenshin felt Kaoru resting against his chest. He felt her faint in his arms, but before the panic could rise in his chest Megumi explained, "That's alright, it's the late effect of the medicine I gave her earlier. She'll be all right if you guys could just leave us so that I could stitch her up again".

Kenshin got up, carrying Kaoru, unconscious, in his arms, in bride style and laid her gently on her bed. He turned and left, followed by Sano and Yahiko. Everything was back to the way it was exactly a month before.

**So, how do you like it? I really need to know what you think about it. Also, please if you have anything to tell me please do so. Plus, if you have any advices on how to improve my biography plz let me know.**

**P.S: Yes, I did use a line from a song by Blue, can anybody guess which line and from which song?**


	10. The end

**Hi there everyone, I finally finished the last chapter. Sorry it took too long but I was dead busy. Thnx to all the lovely readers who reviewed: below is a thank you to every single one of you (at least most of you). Plz read and enjoy...**

Somehow, it was the sound of the door being gently closed that managed to invade Kaoru's head first. She wondered where she were and what happened...and why did she feel like she was suffering the worst hang over ever?!

"Hasn't she awakened yet?" she could hear Yahiko's voice whisper.

She heard an inaudible whisper for a reply, she couldn't even tell who it was.

"No, Sano left" Yahiko said, "He said he......."

Kaoru couldn't hear the rest of the conversation; they seemed to be walking away. She tried to get up, but the pain in her shot side nearly made her scream. Gasping, she tried to remember what had happened. Fear, pain, hurt and the sound of gun fire echoed in her mind. She wondered if it was all some sort of a dream. The last thing she remembered was being irritated by the loud laughs of Sano and Yahiko in the living room. She squinted her eyes trying desperately to remember. She heard them talk bad about her, she was hurt badly, she ran to the roof, it was a full moon. She looked at the calendar at the far wall of her room, the date hasn't changed. _Was it all really a dream?_ The image of Kenshin confessing his love to her came back and she didn't want it to be a dream anymore. A few steps away from her, she could see her favorite hair ribbon on the floor. Slowly, everything came back crystal clear. Her eyes watered as she ran her hand down her side and felt the bandage on where she thought she was shot. _It wasn't a dream!_

The door opening snapped her out of her deep thoughts. She looked to see Kenshin standing there, his cheeks blushed deep red at the sight of her looking at him. He gave her a little smile and she gave him one back. She sat upright slowly.

"Yahiko, Megumi, she's awake" he announced.

Immediately, Yahiko's and Megumi's heads appeared as they leaned to see her from behind the door. Kaoru couldn't help but giggle.

Followed by the two of them, Kenshin walked towards Kaoru and sat next to her.

"Good morning" he greeted cheerfully.

"Good morning" Kaoru replied, her cheeks the color of a beetroot.

An awkward silent moment passed by.

"Kaoru, I'm so sorry for what I've done" Yahiko finally said, he didn't care anymore if Kaoru never taught him again, nearly losing her made him realize how special she was to him, she was more then his sensei, she was one of his few best friends and he owed her darn too much, "I'll work hard to repay you for all the generosity that you've bestowed upon me. Thank you very much"

Kaoru stared at Yahiko blankly for a few seconds. He was never so polite to her, not even if he wanted something from her. She could tell that he was absolutely sincere about what he just said. Not to mention, he used posh words.

"What's with the new manners?" She asked laughing, "Don't be so ridiculous, things will go back to exactly the way they were month ago"

Yahiko couldn't afford to show the happiness he felt, he had already shown enough.

He wanted to jump, hug Kaoru, cry and scream how bad he felt, but he was "The son of an honorable Samurai". He just smiled back.

"I'm glad that you're okay now Kaoru" Megumi said, "Not that I ever doubted you would, after all I was the one who had to stitch you up twice!"

They all laughed quietly.

"Hey Megumi" Kenshin said, "Sorry I glared at you like that before, I was just angry at thinking that I lost Kaoru"

"That's alright Kenshin" Megumi said, "I admit I tried to freak you guys out"

Kaoru looked at Kenshin hopefully, he still hadn't spoken to her directly. Was he taking back the words he said yesterday? _No! _

Sano's head appearing the way Yahiko's and Magumi's did derived her attention from him.

"Sano!" Kaoru said surprised, glad to see him.

Sano hesitated, was that anger or happiness. Was she mad at him for daring to show up, or was she actually happy to see him. There was something in her eyes that encouraged him to enter. From the way Kenshin, Megumi and Yahiko stared at him, he could feel the tingle of the return of things to the way they used to be. He smiled to Kaoru and entered the room, with his hands hidden behind his back. Yahiko gave him a questioned look which he answered with an assuring nod. The rest noticed it. Kenshin and Megumi smiled at Sano, Kaoru raised an eyebrow in suspicion. Sano sat with his hands still behind his back.

"What?" Kaoru asked Sano suspiciously.

"What?!" Sano replied with a smirk on his face.

Yahiko reached out and took something from Sano's hands and hid it behind him.

"Guys, I was shot, but I didn't become blind" Kaoru said, "What are you two planning?"

Awkwardly, Yahiko presented to her what he took from Sano.

"My favorite vase!" Kaoru exclaimed, Yahiko had broken it by accident on Tanabata day and that was the only reason why he acted nice to her then, "But how?"

"I bought you another one, or in precise words paid Sano to get you another one" Yahiko answered, "I hope you like it"

"I do" Kaoru said, "Thank you very much Yahiko"

Sano however still had his hands behind his back.

"We still have one more thing for you" Sano said, Kaoru realized that this was probably the first time she's heard his voice in a month.

"What?" Kaoru asked, excited, then it dawned on her, "You bought me a cake?!"

"Yes" Sano said, giving it to her, "To make it up to you and to apologize"

Kaoru stared at him in awe; it was sweet of him to do that. She opened the wrapped box hurriedly; she felt as if she hadn't eaten for years, she was very hungry.

"You guys make me wanna get shot again just to be treated like that" Kaoru said happily, through a mouthful of cake.

"Want some cake?" she offered to Kenshin. He looked at her and smiled.

"No thanks" he refused politely.

"What, are you on a diet or something?" Kaoru asked sarcastically.

"As a matter of fact I am" Kenshin replied.

"What? You're scrawny already!" Sano said, surprised.

"It's just that I want to look fit for when I'm going to propose to a girl which I had my eye on since ages," Kenshin explained.

The jaws of the rest of the Kenshin-gumi dropped.

"Excuse me" Sano said, "Are you crazy? Who'd ever want to get married? Tha..."-the cake slammed against Sano's face hard.

"Shut up Sano" Kaoru seethed at him.

"I never knew there were strawberries in this cake," Sano said, the cake still covering his face fully.

"Who is she? Do we know her?" Megumi understood what Kenshin was doing immediately and joined in.

Kaoru eyes were fixed in stomach twitching anticipation at Kenshin. It was very much unlike his nature, but he enjoyed watching her so confused. He wondered how could she doubt that she was the one, especially after what happened the previous night.

Yahiko stared from Kenshin to Megumi and vice versa. Kenshin gave him a meaningful look and it dawned on him.

"Yes you do" Kenshin answered matter-of-factly.

"Is she pretty?" Yahiko asked coolly.

"She's the most beautiful girl I've ever seen" Kenshin answered.

"Is she a good cook?" Sano asked smartly, apparently he was enjoying having the cake so close, because all he did was lick away a whole for breathing.

Kenshin pretended to think about it for a few seconds. Kaoru was a hair away from losing her mind.

"No' he answered simply. His eyes met Kaoru's, there was hardly any doubt in them now. They shone in a way that he had never seen before, he could just stare into them forever. Actually, he intended to do the next best thing.

"So, Kaoru, do you think she'll say yes?" he asked her, Kaoru was surprised to hear her name 'dono-free'.

Kaoru, stared at Kenshin, her eyes shimmered with tears.

"I'm not so sure Kenshin" Kaoru answered, all the happy excitement in the room jumped out the window.

"What? Are you crazy?" Sano rather yelled, as he wiped his eyes with his sleeve.

"You know he was talking about proposing to you, don't you?" Yahiko asked, surprised at Kaoru's answer.

Kaoru nodded sorrowfully.

"Why?" Kenshin asked softly, both hurt and surprised.

"I don't know any thing about you, except very little" Kaoru answered sadly, "You don't know the things I've realized during this past month"

Kenshin nodded in comprehension.

Sano glared at Kaoru with eyes smeared with cake. "Megumi" he said, desperately, "Do something!"

"I totally understand and respect Kaoru's reply" Megumi told Sano sternly, "At least I think I do"

"You women are just too complicated!" Sano exasperated.

"So, that was a no?" Kenshin asked, turning his eyes away from her so that she wouldn't see how badly he was hurt.

"No, it wasn't" Kaoru answered, he looked up again at her a hopeful smile across his handsome face, "It just means that I can't marry a guy that I know only little about".

Kenshin thought for a second.

"Well, I'm Shinta Himura, twenty eight years old and am crazily in love with you" Kenshin said, "How about that for a start?"

"Not so bad I guess" Kaoru said, smiling and blushing.

"You mean that all what Kenshin has to do is tell you more about himself?" Sano asked increadibly.

Kaoru nodded excitedly.

"So, Megumi" Sano said.

"Yes, Sano" she replied.

"About that money I need to borrow from you, when will you give 'em to me?" Sano asked.

Megumi inhaled angrily, _Why the heck am I in love with this twerp?!_

**Demon Darkchild: I wouldn't dare hit the Kenshin! I'm in love with him! What does 'Arigato' mean? Thnx.**

**Iceweamber: You never noticed before that they were jerks! Thnx.**

**Clueless girl: You're one of my best friends, Sarah, you owe me more than just 2 reviews. Thnx.**

**Misumi kanegawa: I guess you know by now. Thnx.**

**Jouku-chan: You don't listen to blue!(gasps, turns blue and faints)Thnx.**

**Tenshin-no-Hana-chan: HEY! I've newly put on braces, that review nearly gave me nightmares! Thnx.**

**Mato-ko: Your review was pretty exciting itself. Thnx.**

**Rain angst: Glad you liked it! Thnx.**

**Ryuujin dk: Please let me know what does 'kawaiine' means. Thnx.**

**Kao-gurl: I got the hint winks back, don't worry. Thnx.**

**Mia, Princess of Eternity: It's from the song "When summer's gone" by Blue. Thnx.**

**Britty1633: The song is amazing, isn't it? And yes I do know what Kaoru's feels as well because I have a young brat of my own. Thnx.**

**Anime-fever: I have the same fever! Thnx.**

**Link: Now only it ended. Thnx.**

**Samuraiduck27: Quack quack. Thnx.**

**Catti-dono: See, that's what reviews do. Thnx.**

**Alex: I did. Thnx**

**Sailor-Earth13: Yup I did, but that's what makes you all excited for the next chappie. Thnx.**

**Sakura Hopes: Intensity is my middle name! Thnx.**

**Kenjutsu Priestess: Here's a napkin, anyway he did! Thnx.**

**Half-breed-demon-fox: Ok. Thnx.**

**Chrno-Crusade1: Ok. Thnx.**

**Ask Infinity: I try not to. Thnx.**

**Meaganu-chan: Homework sux! Thnx.**

**Brady bunch 4529: Don't worry. Thnx.**

**Misenagi: Somehow, thanks to ur review I won an argument with Zen. Thnx.**

**Lizwiz:(Offers you a napkin)Napkin? Thnx.**

**Alatril Carnesr: I'm gald it inspired you. Thnx.**

**Carol Malfoy:(Offers you a napkin)Napkin? Thnx.**

**Flaming-umber: Lol. Thnx.**

**Legolas-Estelestar: Don't be sad! Thnx.**

**Mika: Yay! Thnx.**

**Saskia2: I liked it too, poor Kenshin. Thnx.**

**Leona:Sings I love rock and roll...Thnx.**

**Crimson Kaoru: You reviewed a pokemon fanfic of mine as well! Thnx.**

**Finally that story ends. Plz let me know what you think of it. I have an amazing idea for another story, but it'll take me too long to post it 'cause I'm too busy nowadays. I promise you all that you'll love it. Plz review and if you have time read my bio and let me know what you think! Love y'all. C ya soon.**


End file.
